Measures to conserve energy by switching off South Gloucestershire’s street lights between midnight and 5am are to be extended to the district’s ‘A’ roads from the start of May.

The ‘part-night lighting’ scheme has already been successfully introduced on the A4174 and many of the district’s minor roads and will now be extended to other ‘A’ roads including the A38, A432 and A420.

South Gloucestershire operates 29,500 street lights and lit signs, which cost £1.25 million to light and generate 8,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.

Approximately 60 per cent of these lights are to be switched to part-night operation, cutting total carbon emissions and energy costs by approximately 25 per cent.

Rigorous assessment criteria are used to assess whether a light can be safely switched to part-night operation, with many excluded from the scheme. These include lights at junctions and roundabouts, as well as lights in areas with above-average traffic accident or crime statistics.

South Gloucestershire Council executive councillor for communities James Hunt said:

“In line with the Carbon Management Plan which secured unanimous and cross-party support in February, the council is committed to reducing its carbon emissions and this scheme will make an important contribution to that aim, with a reduction of up to 2,000 tonnes per year.”

“At the same time, the scheme will also reduce our lighting-related energy costs. Street lights account for around 15-20 per cent of the council’s energy costs and by moving to part-night operation, we will be saving taxpayers up to £250,000 each year.”

He added:

“Not all lights will be part-nighted however. The safety of our residents and road users is paramount and we have worked closely with the emergency services, parish and town councils to identify lights which should remain lit throughout the night for safety reasons.”

“As a result, about 40 per cent of lights will be unaffected by the scheme and we will continue to work with our partners to monitor for negative effects and make any necessary adjustments.”

Part-night lighting is also acknowledged to be effective in reducing light pollution.

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